Like a lot of newspapers of late, the Los Angeles Times has had to deal with layoffs and shrinking page counts. The sports section is a shell of its former self, but, miraculously, In the Bleachers, the one-panel cartoon from Steve Moore, is still there. (It's buried in the back, next to the minor-league baseball standings and the gambling column.) It's very much in the oddball vein of The Far Side, which debuted six years before it, but while no one would describe the strip as hip or edgy, it makes me laugh on an almost-daily basis.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Not only do video games make more money than movies, they get much more glowingreviews. (I'd be curious to know if the world of video-game criticism is being downsized as dramatically as their film counterparts are.)

It's not available online, but in the latest issue of Kerrang! is my interview with Tom Morello, who's back on the road with Axis of Justice, his tour that brings together country, hip-hop and hard-rock acts to raise awareness for worthy causes.

Friday, April 25, 2008

David Mamet's new film Redbelt is another of his elaborate-con dramas, but it has two interesting wrinkles: It's set in the world of mixed martial arts and, more importantly, it stars the magnificent Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds those "five-dollar foot-long" ads from Subway insanely, evilly catchy. Slate's Seth Stevensoninterviews the commercials' "diabolical geniuses" and learns their tricks.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was a fun surprise that did decent business, so of course a sequel was inevitable. Sadly, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is less funny and a whole lot cruder.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Street Kings, which opens Friday,is a perfectly competent thriller, but it's the sort that perpetuates all the tired cliches about bad cops, codes of honor and this-is-a-man's-world bravado. My review appears in The Village Voice.

Leatherheads has its faults, but for the most part, it's a stylish, smart period comedy. Elsewhere in my Consumables column, I take a listen to the new Death Cab single and Cadence Weapon album, and sing the praises of The Bank Job and Paranoid Park.

Friday, April 04, 2008

With Battlestar Galactica gearing up for its fourth and final season tonight, here's a handy cheat sheet of the show's political subtext. If you've never seen the program, hopefully this rundown will at least get you caught up.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Every Saturday in April, the fine folks at Cinefamily will be screening the films of Harmony Korine, including Kids, Gummo and the forthcoming Mister Lonely. For L.A. Weekly, I discuss Korine's oeuvre, warts and all.

Michael Hogan, the terrific actor who plays the tortured Saul Tigh on Battlestar Galactica, spoke to me recently about the upcoming season, life as a Cylon, and the song he wants playing at his funeral. The details are all at Vulture.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The former Pavement leader is back with his fourth solo record, Real Emotional Trash. If you like twisty guitar epics than can stretch to 10 minutes, it's the album for you. (And even if you don't, you should still give it a shot.)